The growing number of "fast-food" and carry-out restaurants has brought forth an increased demand for beverage trays which allow the customer to conveniently carry more than one beverage at a time. The wide variety of different types and sizes of hot and cold beverage cups and other food items, such as ice cream cones, sold by these restaurants and the need for prompt and efficient food service requires that a single tray be readily adaptable to securely hold all of these various items.
Generally, a cold beverage cup is constructed with a bottom portion recessed above the bottom of the cup sidewall, thus defining a bottom rim of the cup. This bottom rim is generally referred to as a chime, and such cups are referred to as chime-bottom cups. A conventional hot beverage cup frequently does not have a chime and is referred to as a flat-bottom cup.
Most known trays are commonly constructed of folded cardboard which are erected with one or more panels folded to provide locking support against collapse during use and adapt to different types and sizes of food and drink items. There are many disadvantages with these types of trays. They lack rigidity to firmly hold the cups without spilling. Moreover, if the panels are not folded correctly it is easy for a cup to tip over. The tray also must be properly folded to fit the particular item intended to be carried. Once liquid has spilled onto the cardboard, the tray deteriorates and provides even less support. Additionally, most known trays can not accommodate a wide range of different type and size cups and other related food items while maintaining a firm grip on the cup to prevent spillage. In most prior known devices, if the cup opening in the tray is sized such that a large size cup is held in a stable position, a smaller sized cup will be able to slide or tilt within the opening. If the cup opening is sized such that a small size cup is stably supported, a larger size cup will not be accommodated. If the larger size cup is forced into the smaller opening, it will either destroy the structural integrity of the tray, or it will not be properly supported on the tray bottom, thus resulting in a highly unstable condition.
Some prior known trays have been designed to accommodate cups of difference sizes. However, these known designs are not able to securely hold a wide variety of both flat-bottomed and chime-bottomed cups of various sizes.
The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages by using a light weight, plastic try designed to securely grip and support beverage cups of various types and sizes. The tray may be efficiently formed of a single piece to reduce manufacturing costs. The plastic material will not deteriorate, leak or lose its ability to support the cups when wet. The tray is further cost effective in that it does not require a fast-food employee's time to assemble.